Is this a good idea...or bad?

[cornfedkiller]

Ok so let me lay out the situation first.. Every spring, we take a trip to Nebraska for a long weekend, and we have several different properties we hunt.  One of them is our "old faithful", as there are always birds there, and we've been hunting it the longest so we know it the best and usually have good luck in a few different places. 

One of the other properties has a nice field tucked back along the timber and some ridges.  I know the turkeys roost in the timber there, and Im pretty sure they come to the field.  My problem is that I dont have time to scout it at all, so I came up with a plan..

We get there Friday afternoon, then we usually do a little scouting, set up the blind, put a few cameras out, etc, and then start hunting Saturday morning.

I was thinking this year, on Friday afternoon, I should go over to property #2 and set up a trail camera on the field edge so that I can "scout" it while we hunt our go-to property Saturday morning.  My plan though is that in order to get the birds that come out to the field over in front of my camera is to put a jake decoy out there. 

We are the only ones that hunt the farm, so I don't have to worry about anyone trying to shoot it or anything like that, but I'm just curious if its a good or bad idea to leave a jake decoy out during the day without watching over it.  I'm guessing he is going to get beat up, but that shouldn't hurt anything besides the decoy right? 

[jakesdad]

If it was me i'd hunt the "new" place first.Game cameras are fine but dont tell the whole story.You may have several big birds in there that roost then come into the field away from your decoy and camera. You check camera and see nothing and decide not to hunt it.If you are there,whether you kill a bird or not,you'll have a much better idea on what is going on and if its worth pursuing more.You can always go back to "old faithful" if it doesnt work out.

[GobbleNut]

If the properties are within driving distance of each other, why would you not check out both spots the day before the season by dropping off a hunter at each spot to see if birds are there and/or roosting in the area?  If they are using the field, there should be plenty of evidence of that in the form of tracks, droppings, and feathers.  A quick assessment of evidence of fresh sign would most likely eliminate the need for any surveillance equipment.  If they are roosting nearby, a hunter left there before dark would probably be able to pinpoint them, and be able to make a good assessment of (natural) blind locations for when you actually hunt there.